The present invention generally relates to the field of containers. More particularly, the present invention is a planter having a vertical rabbet for conformally engaging an upright elongate member.
Often it is desirable to conceal and decorate support members, such as mailbox posts, newel posts, lampposts, flag poles and similar structures, which are often stark and unattractive. For example, one method of concealing/decorating such support members is to provide flowers and/or other plants adjacent the support member, either by planting the plants in the ground surrounding the support member or in an elevated planter supported by the support member.
Over the years, a number of elevated planters have been developed for concealing/decorating posts and other upright elongate members. However, each of these planters has one or more drawbacks. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,499,473 to Price, U.S. Pat. No. 1,683,271 to Thompson et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,268 to Linder each show a circular planter for a vertical post, such as a lamppost. Each of these planters comprises two semicircular halves, each having a groove for receiving a portion of the post therein. In each of the Price and Lander planters, the semicircular halves are bolted to one another so that the semicircular halves clampingly engage the portion of the post located in the corresponding grooves. In Thompson et al., the planter disclosed therein engages a separate support, or bracket ring, that wedgingly engages the supporting post. A disadvantage of these planters is that they completely surround the post and are not adaptable for the situation in which it is desired for aesthetics, or necessary for access, to have a planter located primarily on only one side of the post. In addition, each of the planters does not include fasteners for mechanically attaching the planters to the corresponding posts. Moreover, each of these planters has two separate cavities, one in each semicircular half.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,972 to Reed shows a plant pot for hanging on a support, such as a rectangular post, having a planar vertical face. The plant pot includes a generally circular bottom wall and a generally frusto-conical sidewall. The sidewall includes a lateral wedgeshaped projection having a vertical flat surface for engaging the vertical face of the support. A disadvantage of the Reed plant pot is that, when attached to a post, it is not visually integrated with the post and is thus not aesthetically pleasing. In addition, the means for attaching the Reed plant pot to a post is not very robust and appears to permit the plant pot to be rotated about the single mechanical fastener and may not adequately support the weigh of a relatively large pot laden with soil and/or other planting material.
As described below, the planter of the present invention advantageously overcomes the foregoing and other disadvantages of conventional planters.
In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a container for engaging a generally upright elongate member. The elongate member has a first end, a second end located upward from the first end and a support portion located between the first and second ends. The support portion has a longitudinal confronting surface. The container comprises a bottom wall having an outer periphery and an upper surface. A sidewall having a lower end is attached to the bottom wall at the outer periphery and extends upward from the upper surface of the bottom substantially vertical rabbet is formed in the sidewall and has a depth extending into the cavity not beyond the central longitudinal axis. The rabbet is shaped to conformally confront the longitudinal confronting surface of the generally upright elongate member. Except for the vertical rabbet, the cavity has two mutually perpendicular axes of symmetry.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a planter system. The planter system includes a generally upright elongate member having a first end, a second end located upward from the first end and a support portion located between the first and second ends. The support portion has a longitudinal confronting surface. The planter system further includes a container comprising a bottom wall having an outer periphery and an upper surface. A sidewall has a lower end attached to the bottom wall at the periphery and extends upward from the upper surface of the bottom wall. The sidewall and the bottom wall define a cavity. A substantially vertical rabbet is formed in a portion of the sidewall and has a depth extending into the cavity. The vertical rabbet conformally confronts the longitudinal confronting surface of generally upright elongate member.